Jeremiah 45:3 kjv
Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
Jeremiah 45:3 nkjv
'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest." '
Jeremiah 45:3 niv
You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'
Jeremiah 45:3 esv
You said, 'Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.'
Jeremiah 45:3 nlt
You have said, 'I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven't I had enough pain already? And now the LORD has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.'
Jeremiah 45 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 6:6 | I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. | Similar exhaustion from persistent sorrow. |
| Ps 38:8 | I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the commotion of my heart. | Internal distress leading to loud expression of pain. |
| Ps 42:3 | My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" | Prolonged suffering and lack of peace. |
| Ps 69:3 | I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. | Weariness from expressing distress and waiting. |
| Job 3:24 | For my groaning comes before I eat, and my roars are poured out like water. | Constant, overwhelming lament. |
| Isa 57:20-21 | But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." | Lack of rest for those who are in trouble or far from God. |
| Lam 1:3 | Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells among the nations, but finds no resting place; all her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. | National despair and lack of rest mirroring personal distress. |
| Jer 20:18 | Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame? | Jeremiah's own lament, reflecting similar anguish and weariness. |
| Jer 4:20 | Disaster follows upon disaster; the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, my curtains in an instant. | Context of widespread devastation contributing to profound sorrow. |
| Jer 6:14 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. | Contrast with false assurances of peace; Baruch truly finds none. |
| Jer 8:15 | We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror! | Desperate search for peace and rest that remains elusive. |
| Matt 11:28 | Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | Christ's divine invitation to find rest, contrasting Baruch's lack of it. |
| Matt 11:29 | Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. | The spiritual rest available through union with Christ. |
| Heb 4:1 | Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. | Concept of a spiritual "rest" remaining for God's people. |
| Heb 4:9 | So then, there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. | Ultimate, eternal rest for the people of God. |
| Ps 130:1 | Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! | A common opening to a cry of anguish from deep distress. |
| Job 7:3-4 | So I am allotted months of emptiness and nights of misery are appointed to me. When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossings till dawn. | Sense of endless misery and sleeplessness due to suffering. |
| Ecc 1:18 | For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. | Sorrow often accompanying a deeper understanding or prophetic revelation (which Baruch possessed). |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. | How to deal with heavy burdens like Baruch's, by entrusting them to God. |
| Phil 4:6-7 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. | God's peace offered as a counter to anxiety and a lack of rest. |
| Rom 8:22 | For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. | Universal experience of suffering and longing for redemption. |
| 2 Cor 11:23-27 | ...in labors, in hardships, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fastings, in cold and exposure. | Apostle Paul's experiences echoing a similar type of weariness and lack of rest due to faithful service to God. |
Jeremiah 45 verses
Jeremiah 45 3 Meaning
This verse captures Baruch's deep personal anguish and despair. He expresses a lament, feeling overwhelmed by an increased burden of suffering and distress, attributed directly to the LORD's dealings. He confesses profound exhaustion from continuous complaint and an utter lack of inner peace or respite amidst the tumultuous times and his association with Jeremiah's unpopular prophetic ministry.
Jeremiah 45 3 Context
Jeremiah 45 serves as an appendix to Jeremiah's prophetic messages, specifically following the dramatic event in chapter 36 where Jehoiakim, king of Judah, burned Jeremiah's scroll. Baruch, Jeremiah's faithful scribe, had read these words to the people and then meticulously recorded them again after the king's defiant act. This personal oracle to Baruch, likely delivered around 605-604 BC, occurs during a period of immense national crisis. Babylon's relentless rise, Judah's imminent downfall, and the futility of Jeremiah's persistent warnings against apostasy weighed heavily on the prophet and his companion. Baruch's complaint reflects the exhaustion and distress of living through such turbulent times, amplified by his close association with the maligned prophet Jeremiah. This association undoubtedly placed him in danger and led to his personal hopes and aspirations (perhaps for personal safety, position, or an easy life) being shattered by the harsh realities. This verse is his lament, articulating the intense emotional toll of carrying such a weighty divine message and facing pervasive national sin and impending doom.
Jeremiah 45 3 Word analysis
You said, 'Woe is me now!'
- Woe: Hebrew hôy (הוֹי). This is a solemn interjection expressing deep grief, anguish, or lamentation. It signifies a desperate and sorrowful cry arising from profound personal suffering and regret, not just a casual expression of sadness. It immediately conveys the intensity of Baruch's feeling.
- is me now!: The addition of "now" (Hebrew na') emphasizes the immediate and acute nature of Baruch's present distress. It underscores that his suffering is happening in this current moment of his life, making it acutely personal and urgent.
For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow;
- LORD: Hebrew YHWH (יְהוָה). Baruch directly attributes his compounded suffering to the covenant God of Israel. This is characteristic of biblical lament, where the distressed person brings their complaint directly to God, demonstrating faith in His sovereignty even amid perceived negative dealings.
- added: Hebrew yāsap̄ (יָסַף). To increase, continue, or place upon. This verb highlights a cumulative effect. It implies that Baruch was already enduring pain, and the LORD has now intensified or multiplied that existing burden.
- grief: Hebrew yagôn (יָגוֹן). Signifies deep sorrow, pain, or affliction. This is not a fleeting emotion but a profound sense of inner anguish.
- to my sorrow: Hebrew al-makh'obhî (עַל־מַכְאֹבִי), literally "upon my pain" or "upon my affliction." Hebrew makh'obh (מַכְאוֹב) means pain, suffering, or grief. The phrasing emphasizes that new grief is layered on top of, or added to, existing personal pain, leading to a state of being overwhelmed.
I am weary with my groaning,
- weary: Hebrew yāgātâ (יָגַעְתִּי). To be exhausted, faint, or physically and mentally worn out. This term denotes the profound depletion of strength that comes from sustained effort or enduring prolonged distress.
- groaning: Hebrew be'ônḥātî (בְּאָנְחָתִי). The continuous act of sighing, moaning, or complaining that stems from internal suffering. Ônḥāh (אָנְחָה) describes the involuntary sounds or expressions of deep, internal distress. Baruch is tired from the very act of voicing his profound anguish.
and I find no rest.
- find: Hebrew māṣā'tî (מָצָאתִי). To encounter, obtain, or experience. It implies a seeking or expectation of something, which in this case is completely absent.
- no rest: Hebrew menûḥāh (מְנוּחָה). This denotes quietness, tranquility, a resting place, or cessation from toil and distress. Baruch experiences neither physical relaxation nor mental or emotional peace. His spirit is restless, agitated, and devoid of repose, signifying the culmination of his suffering.
Words-group analysis:
- "For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow": This powerful confession demonstrates Baruch's theological depth, directly attributing his increased pain to God. It highlights a common dynamic in biblical laments where the one suffering lays their complaint before a sovereign God, often in a state of bewilderment or intense pain over divine dealings. This reflects the reality that even faithful individuals can perceive God's hand as one that "adds" to their burdens in difficult times.
- "I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest": This coupling emphasizes the pervasive and utterly draining nature of Baruch's distress. His suffering is not passive; it compels an ongoing internal and external expression of pain which, paradoxically, contributes to his physical and mental exhaustion, leaving him devoid of any true peace or cessation from his agitated state. It illustrates the profound fatigue that can grip those in constant lament or distress.
Jeremiah 45 3 Bonus section
This short oracle to Baruch in Jeremiah 45 follows the intense events of chapter 36, where Baruch himself was in danger for his life as he read and then re-wrote Jeremiah's prophecies that Jehoiakim defiantly burned. Baruch's lament likely reflects his fear of personal destruction (mentioned implicitly in Jer 45:5, "your life as a prize of war") and the crushing disappointment of living in an era where divine warnings were ignored, and disaster seemed inevitable. His desire for "rest" or relief likely included personal ambition and an easy life, which the LORD addresses in the subsequent verses by clarifying that God is tearing down what He built and will not grant Baruch his "great things" but only spare his life. This helps us understand that Baruch's lament stemmed not only from suffering but perhaps also from unfulfilled personal aspirations that were incompatible with God's wider plan for judgment and future restoration.
Jeremiah 45 3 Commentary
Jeremiah 45:3 provides a window into the intense personal cost of faithful living and prophetic association during a time of national decline and impending judgment. Baruch's lament is raw and honest, exposing the profound psychological and emotional burden of carrying unpopular truth. His complaint is directed at the LORD Himself, revealing not rebellion, but rather a wrestling with God's sovereignty over his life circumstances. The "grief added to sorrow" suggests a life already fraught with trouble that God seems to be intensifying, contrary to any expectations of an easy path for one serving His prophet. The description of being "weary with groaning" and finding "no rest" vividly portrays a spirit drained by ceaseless anxiety, deep disappointment, and the absence of internal peace amidst the surrounding chaos and personal danger. This verse stands as a vital reminder that even devoted servants of God are not immune to profound despair and physical exhaustion in their journey of faith, offering solace to those who feel similarly overwhelmed by life's difficulties.